Books and Memories
by Dread-Pirate-Not-Roberts
Summary: Jenkins finds an old memory and realizes he has yet to learn about broken hearts and old connections.
1. In which I got Jenkins feels

Cleaning the Library was an absolute pain in the arse. Leaflets, phamplets, and sheets galore, which meant paper cuts galore as well. Why did they have so many copies of the same thing? They had four original copies of 'Common Sense' (and counting), seven of the Renolds- Hamilton Phamplet, and whole volumes of Lincoln's notes on vampires. Jenkins had always had to do the annual clearing alone (not that he minded, it was nice and quiet). But now he had a fresh batch of Librarians, naïve to the pain of cleaning an infinite Library. The cataloging and throwing away and stinging cuts from century old paper would grow full and tiring sooner then one thought. The Caretaker, however, had grown immune to the smells and headaches, however, in his long (long, long, long, looooong) time of working there.

Jenkins flipped through the papers and set aside (one of the many copies of) 'First Impressions'. "Colonel Baird," His fingers paused. "Did you read anything by Homer in school?"

"No." The woman dug through a filing cabinet. "Oh. My dad made me read the Iliad. Or was it the Oddessy? Hm." Eve shrugged. "Whichever one it was..." She suddenly wrinkled her nose. What a bad smell in the cabinet! Her voice trailed off and she lost track of the conversation.

"And?" Jenkins questioned, not moving.

"'And' what?" Eve remained somewhat distracted the peculiar stench.

"The Oddessy."

"Oh, I didn't like it."

Pause.

"Why not?"

Eve grimaced and halted her rummaging. She slowly pulled her hand out of the cabinet drawer. "Ugh... It was so boring. And it was written like a poem but it didn't rhyme... It threw me off- I'm sorry, but, why in the world are all of these folders moist? And sticky?"

Jenkins didn't respond, still tenderly examining the page under his suddenly soft fingers.

"So gross." Said Eve, distracted with the slime on her fingers. She wiped them off on a nearby hanging coat. "Jenkins?" Eve turned and started to speak louder to catch his attention, but hesitated at his bittersweet gaze to... Well, whatever was on the table.

His brow creased as he picked up the page and scanned it, swallowing. "Who was your favourite character?" His voice was soft.

"In what? In Homer? Uh..." She crossed her arms and exhaled a breath. "I think I didn't like anyone. I honestly don't remember."

Jenkins responded with quiet, "I liked Athene. She was... Courageous."

Eve licked her lips. Never had she seen Jenkins look so... Lonely?

"Jenkins."

"Hm?" He looked up. "Oh, Colonel." The caretaker folded up the sheet. "What is it?"

Bumbling for a response, she managed, "I... Jones wants to know if you want pizza." Of course he didn't. Why on earth would he want pizza. That was a terrible pretend excuse. She needed to find more fake excuses.

However, Jenkins seemed to not care or simply not notice. "No thank you, Colonel."

Eve gave a bit of an awkward nod. "I'm... I've gotta wash off Flynn's coat." She rushed to the stand and yanked the jacket off, then bustled out.

Jenkins turned to the table and pushed aside a pile of papers, then set down the drawing of a goddess he loved.

Athena. The Grey Eyed Goddess.


	2. In which Eve is champion Pizza Hauler

[ **I HAVE AP HOMEWORK AMD COLLEGE CLASSES I WILL IPSATE WHEN I CAN HAHA ITS RLY LATE SHORT CHAPTER YOMESorry! Love you! Bye!** ]

Eve exited the Annex to find Cassandra hauling food. (Specifically the good kind of food that is known as 'pizza', which is also called a pie for some reason.) Now, the Library gave them mostly whatever they needed (light, shelter, even basic ingredients for cooking) in return for their services.

The Library, however could not create a perfectly make a King's Pizza style pizza (something Ezekiel had been considering training it to do, but he didn't know how to reward a library. How do you do that. It's magic.), so it was up the the Librarians to fetch the takeout.

Eve rushed down the stairs two at a time to get to Cassandra. She took one box and responded with a basic "Mhm." as the redhead thanked her.

"You seem distracted, Eve."

"Mhm."

"What?"

"Mhm."

"Eve."

The colonel blinked. "Mhm?"

Cassandra sighed with a long breath that carried a small chuckled on it as Eve reached out with her free hand and opened the door. "You seem distracted, Eve." Cassandra repeated, lowering the load onto a nearby Table. "What's up?" She stretched an arm over her head.

Eve exhaled and set down the boxes, wondering why they needed eight whole boxes of pizza. "Did you ever read the classics in school?"

"Classics?" Cassandra squeezed her eyes shut. "Classics... Blue... Bronte..." Her eyes opened again. "Yeah, we did. Not a lot."

"The Iliad?"

"Maybe... I don't even remember most of their names. There was one-" she paused mid stretch as a knuckle made a rather satisfactory pop- "where people burned books."

"Fahrenheit 451?"

Cassandra blinked, then grinned. "Yeah. Fahrenheit... Celcius... 451, paper burns... No, auto-ignites..." She began muttering and waving her fingers, splashing at imaginary colors.

Eve winced, cursing herself. It was always hard to calm down Cassandra from one of these little mathematical escapades. Except for Jake. He knew what was going on. If Eve played her cards right, Cassandra would probably not get a bloody nose or hyperactive with math. "Cassie," Eve said gently. She decided (for once at least) to follow Stone's lead. "Hey, Cassandra. Anchor to a smell."

Mm. No, no, that wasn't what he said.

Apparently, to Eve's relief, it was close enough. Cassandra exhaled slowly now, breathing in blueberries. "I... Was still a janitor." Eve helped her sit in a cushy chair, coaxing her quietly. "Th-there was a little boy..."

"Oh, good!" a voice crowed as Cassandra jumped. "Pizza!"

"Ezekiel!" Cassandra's cheeks flushed pink as the Australian scooped up four of the eight boxes. "D-don't sneak up on people like that!"

Ezekiel opened a box with his free hand and pulled at a cheesy slice. "I came up the elevator." He smiled (half apologetic) at Cassandra. "Those are loud. The old ones. Can't believe Jenkins won's upgrade." Ezekiel took a bite and grinned, pulling the slice away, strings of cheese bouncing back.

Cassandra pinkened the slightest more and jumped up, grabbing the last few boxes.

Eve tsked Ezekiel and followed them to the stairwell of the Annex. "Come on, Jones. Jenkins is old fashioned, that doesn't mean-"

The doors they were walking towards opened. "Doesn't mean what, Colonel Baird?" Jenkins asked nonchalantly, a brow raised.

"No- I- nothing."

"You seem flustered."

"Because you just magically appeared in front of us and opened the doors."

"Or you were just very loud."

Ezekiel grinned at Eve. "Looks like we're on the same level."

This little quip got Jenkins' disapproval and a little sarcastic 'hm' from the Caretaker. "Why do we need eight-"

"There was a sale!" Ezekiel called behind him, dropping the boxes onto the dining table. "Buy two, get one free."

Eve recounted the pizzas. "Jones, there's only eight."

Ezekiel paused. He counted. Then he counted again. "Cassie?"

"I only picked up eight."

Ezekiel sighed. "I betcha its the mellenial meat."

"I... Excuse me." Jenkins said, perplexed. "Mellenial meat?"

"I don't mean you, Jenkins," Ezekiel replied while half distracted in dialing in his phone.

Eve quickly looked at Jenkins. "He doesn't mean it."

The caretaker didn't seem bothered by Ezekiel in the least. If anything, it was the naming choice if Ezekiel's precious pizza. "Do they even know what a mellenial is?"

Eve sighed. She walked back to the card catalogue and looked back to make sure Jenkins wasn't watching.

She opened the 'A' drawer and pulled out a card.

 _Athena. Mythology. Greek goddess. Also called Athene and Pallas Athena._

 **[HAHA ITS FOUR THIRTY IN THE MORNING GOOD NIGHT]**


End file.
